January 2023 - Tahune airwalk

Many thanks to Angie for reporting back on this month's walk. The walks at Tahune Adventures, Arve River Road, near Geeveston, were suggested by Gary. The forestry based destination was badly affected by fires several years ago and most of us had not visited for some time.

Getting there: take the C631 from Geeveston, and follow the numerous signs to Tahune. Participants: Gary - the leader, Adam, Philip, Angie, Summa, Fin, Wayne and Gerwyn. We rendezvoused at the Franklin Palais cafe at 11am, and from there proceeded to Tahune Adventures, via Geeveston. There was initial confusion as to which walks, if any, required payment of the Tahune entrance fee, but this was clarified by the Tahune staff - the Huon Pine Walk and the Swinging Bridges Walk, as well as the Tahune Airwalk, all require an entrance ticket.

All the walks are easy, on well-made tracks, but some have steps and short steep sections. We set off first across the Tahune Bridge across the Huon River for the Huon Pine Walk. This short walk goes through some lovely wet forest, including lots of baby Huon pines near the River and large Huon pine logs washed up against the river banks.

The Huon Pine Walk was very interpretive and there were many white petals on the forest floor which were from the leatherwood trees, the flowers best seen from above whilst walking on the airwalk.

We stopped for lunch at a handy riverside picnic table.

Next we did the Tahune Airwalk, rebuilt since the 2019 fires. Not everyone felt comfortable enough to go to the end of the cantilever, but some of us found it exciting, and the views of the river were spectacular.

Views of the trees (especially the leatherwoods in flower) and the Huon River were great, but burnt areas of forest are still very evident.

Gary, Adam and Philip departed after the Airwalk, and the rest of us did the longer Swinging Bridges Walk to see the confluence of the Picton and Huon rivers. Two bridges cross the Huon River and the Picton River, and there is a short sidetrip between to the actual confluence and views downriver. Both bridges are very bouncy - a bit too bouncy for some tastes.

The remains of the McPartlan family's house are near the Picton Bridge. Collector of Revenues, Francis McPartlan, and his family lived here in the 1870s.

We got back to the visitor centre and cafe around 3.30pm and enjoyed some very welcome cups of tea and ice creams.

December 2022 - Clifton Beach - Cape DesLacs

Caroline and Warren are finally back from their latest mainland adventure, and they invited us to come and do a walk at Clifton Beach, to follow with an EOY barbie at their beach house. The prospect of an enjoyable walk and a good nosh instead of our usual simple picnic lured a good turnout of the walking buddies. We had Caroline, Warren, Kat, Philip, Gerwyn, Wayne, Bob, Lyn, Di, Angie, and Summa. Gary, Adam and Rachel came for the post-walk lunch session!

The walkers set out, dodging the puddles in the dirt road from the recent rains.

It was a pleasant stroll along very quiet beach roads, and then into the surprisingly dry bush of the Cape Deslacs Nature Reserve.

Before we knew it we had reached the clifftop overlooking Frederick Henry Bay.

We were looking towards Lime Bay at the end of the Tasman Peninsula. It was a lovely view.

Even better, Warren pointed out a blowhole!

The sea breeze was pretty brisk as we topped the hill, but we were soon descending towards Clifton Beach.

We popped out to the lookout, this track is through a shearwater rookery.

We took the beach option for getting back to the house, walking carefully amongst the thousands of bluebottles that have recently been washed up on Tassie's beaches.

Now at last the sun actually came out (it was a bit unfamiliar!) and we spread out over the back deck to enjoy refreshments, then the barbie and salads.

The mood was mellow, and conversation flowed. The highlight of the desserts was Caroline's pavlova.

Our usual post-walk sense of wellbeing was boosted by Caroline and Warren's hospitality, thankyou to you both. Finally we rolled home, buoyed by feeling that we had finished our walking year on a high note.

November 2022 - Florentine River

Angie organised us for this, her favourite walk, along the Timbs Track to the Florentine River. We'd been here a couple of times before: October 2015. November 2016. So it would be interesting to see if anything had changed.

On a day with an inauspicious weather forecast, six of us headed hopefully into the SouthWest - Angie, Di, Fin, Summa, Wayne and Gerwyn. We met at the carpark for the Timbs Track and Twisted Sister walks, about 20km past Maydena on the Gordon River Road. Of course it had been a clear day right up until that point, when it started to drizzle. We all kitted up with our best warm layers and wet weather gear, because it looked like today was going to test everything out.

The track is now mainly labelled Twisted Sister. A little way along, it is clear that Timbs Track separates from this path.

Most of the track is really pretty:

This is the junction to the lookout - a low rise for a view of the valley. The old lookout platform has been demolished, as was the track sign at this junction.

Sawback Range through the clouds:

Sections of the trail were like this!

There were some lovely flowers out.

And interesting fungi.

And evidence of wombats and Tassie Devil (scat)

Quiet walking through misty rainforest.

By the time we reached the turnoff for the (currently closed) Adamsfield Track we were somewhat bedraggled.

It actually took only 10 mins to get to Ewes Inn hut.

It was nice and dry inside, if no mod cons to speak of :). A good spot for lunch. The ceiling is so low, Wayne had to sit down (on the only seat) for comfort.

Just nearby is the Florentine River.

Then it was a return along the same trail. By the time we got back to our vehicles, we needed a warm dry change of clothes. Most of us found a leech or two at this point. And some of us will be replacing bits of gear - raincoat or leggings or gaiters... All good, we had an enjoyable day walking with good friends, on a pretty (and fairly level) trail.